The invention is related to a device for the application of resilient ligating bands around tissues for the treatment of conditions such as, but not limited to, hemorrhoids (piles).
Hemorrhoids are one of the most common surgical diseases around the world. Depending on their severity, which is graded from 1st-4th degrees, they can be treated on an outpatient basis. Various methods of treatment were developed. Infrared coagulation, radio frequency coagulation, direct current coagulation, rubber band ligation, sclerotherapy, cryosurgery, laser surgery and scalpel surgery.
The lease expensive and most widely used method is rubber band ligation. This is suitable for the great majority of cases. It has been in use for many years and has proved to be the most effective.
In the known technique, a relatively long forceps is employed to hold the hemorrhoid, which is pulled through an o-ring forceps with a relatively long arm. The external part of the o-ring holds an already stretched rubber band. Once the forceps has grasped the hemorrhoid, the rubber band is fired from the o-ring by a simple pushing mechanism. The problems with the known technique include the requirement for two people to perform it, one to hold the anoscope and the other to apply the bands. This anoscope is needed to be able to visualize the hemorrhoids.
Because it is necessary to have two people to perform the technique, misfiring of the bands is frequent and readjustment is therefore required. Sterilization of the equipment between patients is essential, so many sets are needed.
As each patient usually needs 2-3 rubber bands to be applied, the o-ring must be loaded each time with a fresh band, which is a demanding task. Thus the o-ring forceps must be removed while maintaining the anoscope inside the patient, as it is painful to remove and then reinsert it.
A less common condition called oesoghageal varices, which is dilated veins at the lower part of the oesophagus, is treated in a similar way by applying rubber bands to the varices.
This treatment has proved its efficiency in stopping bleeding from oesophageal varices. The rubber bands are loaded on a cartridge, which is loaded on the tip of a flexible fibre optic gastroscope. This is passed down into the patients' oesophagus and the rubber bands are applied on the varices, which are drawn into the cartridge by the means of suction. The mechanisms used to fire the rubber bands are dependent on a thread applied over the cartridge body, under the rubber bands. Drawing the thread will fire the rubber bands. A plurality of rubber bands can be fired using this method.
The problem with this method is that time and a complex effort are needed to assemble the cartridges. That makes them expensive. The same mechanism is not used widely to treat hemorrhoids because the cartridge needs to be applied on a long fibre optic scope and it has proved to be too expensive to use for a very common condition as hemorrhoids.
It is an object of this invention to provide a device that will enable one person to apply several elastic bands (or other resilient ligating bands) onto hemorrhoids or other tissue such as oesophageal varices without the need to recharge the device by applying more bands each time an application is required.